Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (March 2014)
Luke introduces the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world. In the genealogy of Jesus he begins with Adam, from whom all people on earth inherited a sinful nature which was transmitted genetically to all branches of humanity. Paul says that “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). We all owe our sinful nature to Adam, which explains out spiritual mortality, and only Christ can quicken us in this condition: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
Luke’s reference to Adam as the progenitor of fallen humanity is important, as in one of the generations of the human race – specifically in the royal family of the Chosen People, Israel – God begat a Saviour who is described as the “last Adam” because all sinners can make a new beginning as redeemed people through Him (1 Cor. 15:45). Luke makes sure that all the lost descendants of the first Adam have a clear grasp of this plan of salvation, as:
· Christ had to be incarnated by being born in a mortal body from a woman to be able to bear the substitutionary death penalty which was imposed on sinful people;
· He had to be born from a virgin as the sinful nature of fallen humanity is transmitted by the seed of the man;
· He had to be conceived by the Holy Spirit to also be the Son of God;
· He had to be sinless if He was to be the perfect sacrificial Lamb (the innocent who die on behalf of the guilty);
· He had to be God Himself if He wished to impute His holy nature to people in order to make them conformable to God’s holiness;
· He had to be born in a royal family to be able to rule over His redeemed people from the earthly throne of David; and
· His deity is essential to render Him an immortal King whose kingdom will prevail forever.
Luke describes this very special birth by way of the angel’s words to Mary:
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I do not know a man? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-35).
As the Son of Man, Jesus would also be the King of Israel as He would be born from the royal house of David. At the right time, when Israel fully accepts Him, He will rule from the throne of David in Jerusalem. Luke fully recognises the Jewish identity of the Messiah but broadens the application of His redemptive work to include all unsaved people on earth: “... for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
This inclusive approach is evident from the parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25-37), and also from the rebuking of the Jews because of their intolerance towards Samaritans (9:51-56). In Luke 17:11-19, it is emphasised that after the healing of ten lepers only one, a Samaritan, returned to glorify God for the miracle. In Luke 10:1-24, 70 disciples are commissioned to proclaim the gospel in surrounding cities – not only to Jews but also to Gentiles.
The same message of the narrow way with its few people and the broad way which is trodden by the great majority of deceived, unsaved people, is proclaimed in Matthew to the Jews and in Luke to the Gentile world (Matt. 7:13-15; Luke 13:23-24). The true followers of Jesus Christ are everywhere a small minority who have to strive hard and make big personal sacrifices to enter in through the narrow gate, while also taking a strong stand against the deceived majority. Not only in Israel did the largest group of the population, as well as their religious leaders, turn their backs upon Jesus and His teachings, but the same situation also prevails in the Gentile world. Faithful followers of Jesus should be prepared to fully identify with His cross and to mortify the flesh in order to die for the old, self-centred life (Luke 9:23; 14:27).
In his prophetic review, Luke not only discusses the destiny of the unbelieving Jewish people but also that of Messianic believers in Israel, Christians among the Gentiles, as well as prophecies related to the nations. The promised escape of Messianic believers before the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century is described by Luke (21:20-22) but not by Matthew. Luke then proceeds to mention “the times of the Gentiles” (21:24) which elapse between the first and second coming of Christ. This does not form part of Israel’s history of salvation as a nation, and for that reason Matthew does not refer to the times of the Gentiles.
A theme which is clearly discussed in the prophetic discourse is the promise that true believers of the first generation in the church age would escape the judgements on Jerusalem. The same biblical principle is also applied to the last generation before Christ’s second coming, as Christians will again be removed from the disaster area of divine judgements. This is a well established principle in God’s dealings with people: He never pours out His wrath upon the righteous when He judges the wicked. Noah, Lot and their families were also removed to safety before their wicked contemporaries were judged by God.
The following promise was given to believers in the first century: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-22).
In November and December 66 AD, this promise was literally fulfilled to Messianic Jews in Israel. That was during the siege of Jerusalem by Cestius Gallus, the Roman governor of Syria. However, in November, Cestius decided that he did not have enough troops and supplies for an extended siege of Jerusalem, and called off the operation. This unexpected turn of events raised hopes among the Jews of gaining victory and saving their city. They promptly chased down their enemies and killed 5 300 of them. However, the Christians realised the seriousness of the situation and fled to Pella in Trans-Jordan while the other Jews were in pursuit of their enemies.
Nero, the Emperor in Rome, was furious about the humiliating defeat suffered by his Syrian forces against the Jews. He sent Vespasian, one of his best generals, to teach the Jews a conclusive lesson. Vespasian and his son, Titus, commanded an army of 60 000 men. They conquered town after town in Galilee and Judea. Not only did they conquer the towns, they also slaughtered thousands of Jews and flattened every town to the ground. Many of the Jews escaped to Jerusalem. They believed that the city was so strongly fortified that it would never fall at the hands of its enemies, but the Lord Jesus had warned them against the tragic outcome of this invasion:
“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:41-44).
During the siege of Jerusalem, 1,1 million people perished – half of them died of starvation, while the rest fell by the edge of the sword. The temple was set alight and subsequently all its walls broken down to the rock foundation to retrieve the molten gold that had seeped into the cracks in the floor. All the buildings in the city were burned and razed to the ground. On 26 September in AD 70, the once famous City of David had died. Only one wall, the present Western Wall on the Temple Mount, was left standing to serve as a shelter to Roman soldiers who remained behind to ensure that the Jews did not rebuild the city. The 97 000 surviving Jews were taken away as captives of war. Many of them were sold on slave markets in other provinces of the Roman Empire.
The long period of Israel’s exile from the land, their global dispersion, and the trampling of Jerusalem by the Gentiles started in 70 AD. The subsequent period is described as “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) when the whole world was to be evangelised and offered an opportunity to enter into the kingdom of God. It was not until late in the 20th century that Jerusalem would progressively come under Jewish control, as part of Israel’s end-time restoration and the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the unbelieving world.
The Gospel according to Luke is meant for a non-Jewish audience. The most important events related to the salvation of Israel are mentioned, as well as this nation’s negative attitude towards the Messiah. The message is clear that God does not only want to save unbelieving Jews but also members of all the Gentile nations. Luke’s strong emphasis on the role of Jesus as the Son of Man demonstrates the fact that Jesus is concerned about the spiritual interests of all people. That, in itself, is the fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy in which God says of His Son: “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isa. 49:6). Paul referred to this pronouncement when he reached out to the Gentiles with the gospel (Acts 13:45-47).
The times of the Gentiles constitute an important dispensation in humanity’s history of salvation. During this time the gospel of the grace of God should be proclaimed to all nations on earth. This commission was only given to the true disciples of Jesus, and absolutely not to the unbelieving spiritual leaders of Israel. There are no special priestly offices involved in proclaiming the gospel – only faith in Jesus, together with the regenerating and enabling power of the Holy Spirit. The task of evangelisation would soon be taken over by disciples from the non-Jewish world. The Great Commission, as well as the power to execute this command, was given as follows to the disciples by Jesus:
“Then He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:46-49). It was expected of the disciples to be filled with the Holy Spirit before engaging in this important commission. This requirement also applies to deacons and elders (Acts 6:3), and therefore to all believers who are serious about serving the Lord (Luke 11:13).
The gospel of the grace of Christ was proclaimed, which is the gospel of the cross. The entire church age would be a time of grace when all people would be given the opportunity to be saved. No judgements of God are poured out upon unbelievers during this dispensation, as was the case during Old Testament times. The judgement of unbelievers has been postponed to the end-time when the tribulation period will occur. Since divine judgements are not meant for believers, they will escape this period. The tribulation which we do experience during the church age is imposed on us by the unbelieving world and does not come from God.
When Luke reviews the tribulation period, the focus falls more on the nations than on Israel. He does not refer to Israel’s flight to the wilderness in the middle of the tribulation after the Antichrist will have desecrated the temple. He only offers a short summary of the tribulation and then specifically mentions the believers’ escape from the tribulation:
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Then He spoke to them a parable: Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:25-36).
It is evident from this scripture that Jesus will come in great power and glory at the end of the tribulation, but that believers will be removed beforehand as they are not destined for God’s judgements. They should “escape” all these things which will come to pass, and stand before the Son of Man.
According to W.F. Arndt & F.W. Gingrich (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian Literature, p. 246) the word escape (Greek: ekfeugo) as used in Luke 21:36, means “to escape tribulations.” The Lord clearly offers us an escape from the future judgements, and the tribulation period is definitely a time of divine wrath. When the powers of heaven are shaken and men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, they will be panic-stricken and cry out to the mountains: “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Rev. 6:16-17).
Luke refers to various groups of the signs of the times by which the Jewish nation, the Gentiles, as well as the disciples of Christ among all nations are addressed. These signs emphasise the great importance of having the correct perspective on future events, in order to be ready to face them. An unbiblical future expectation, or no future expectation, can be a costly mistake.
Jesus reprimanded first century Jews because of failing to heed the signs of the times and to base their future expectation on these very clear signs: “Then He also said to the multitudes, Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, A shower is coming; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, There will be hot weather; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?” (Luke 12:54-57).
In Israel, clouds from the west carry along humid air from the Mediterranean, which brings rain, while dry desert winds from the south give rise to high temperatures. The Old Testament signs which referred to the first coming of the Messiah were equally obvious. Those who heeded these signs would have entertained a strong expectation on the coming of the Messiah.
Long ago, Isaiah predicted that a Jewish boy who was to be born in the house of David, would be king of Israel and at the same time also “Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6-7). Micah predicted that He would be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2). In Daniel 9:24-26, a time frame is even given for the period which would elapse between the consent which was given to rebuild Jerusalem after its destruction by the Babylonians, and the crucifixion of the Messiah. Besides these and many other Old Testament prophecies there were also, during the birth and earthly ministry of Jesus, various signs and pronouncements which confirmed His Messiahship.
First of all, there was the angel Gabriel who appeared to Zacharias in the temple to inform him that his son, John, would prepare the way for the Messiah. The people of Israel were well aware of this incident (Luke 1:21-22). Subsequently, Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that her Son would not only be the King of Israel but also the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38). After John the Baptist had grown up and started with his ministry, he publicly introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). During Jesus’ own ministry He often revealed His divine identity by way of His teachings and miracles.
The people of Israel were easy victims of their deceived spiritual leaders, and because of that they did not serious consider the prophetic signs of the Messiah’s coming. The leaders of the nation were looking for a Messiah who would be a mighty king to restore the throne of David in Jerusalem and also use military power to deliver the nation from the bondage imposed upon them by their enemies. Because Jesus only revealed Himself as a lowly Servant during His first coming, with the aim of convicting the nation of their sin and also to move them to true repentance, they rejected Him. The ordinary members of the nation were deceived to share this negative assessment of Jesus with the agnostic scribes.
In His discussion of the signs of the times, the Lord Jesus criticised the people for their inability to determine the truth themselves because of their lack of knowledge and discernment: “Why do you not judge what is right?” (Luke 12:57). The same question may be put to all of us. Do we study the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit? If not, can we really claim to be filed with the Spirit? (cf. Luke 11:13).
The Lord indeed wants to enable each one of us to correctly understand His Word and to live in accordance with it. We need not be victims of ignorance, or of preachers who subjectively deviate from the truth. If this happens, then we allow others to blind us spiritually or to impose tunnel vision on us to keep us from seeing the bigger picture. We must make sure that we correctly understand all doctrines – particularly those on justification, sanctification and the second coming. Learn from the Lord – not from blind leaders. It stands to reason that not all churches, neither the hundreds of different views on the Bible, can all be correct. We should search after the truth until we find it, and guard against the possibility of becoming unreasoning followers of other people who might be biased or even completely wrong.
With reference to the end-time, Luke mentions to sets of signs, i.e. those that indicate the nearness of the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation period, and those that pertain to the public coming of Christ at the end of the tribulation period. Most of the latter signs refer to events during the second half of the tribulation period, i.e. the great tribulation, directly prior to Christ’s coming when every eye shall see Him (Luke 21:9-11, 25-27).
However, there are few explicit signs which refer to Christ’s secret coming as a thief in the night to take away His bridal congregation before the tribulation period. It will be reminiscent of the days of Noah and Lot when, in spite of repeated warnings about God’s impending judgements, apostate humanity continued with their materialistic and licentious lifestyles (Luke 17:26-36). Suddenly, on a day when they least expected it, they were overtaken by judgements. A similar situation will prevail in the end-time (Luke 17:30), but shortly before the judgements all true believers will be removed: “On that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left” (Luke 17:34). Those who remain behind will be overtaken by judgements.
We are warned that the end-time judgements will come as a snare on all people, but only those who are spiritually worthy will escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:35-36). Because of the surprise element of the rapture, it is not directly preceded by any specific signs. However, in Luke 21 there are signs which broadly identify the end-time before the rapture. These are the budding of the fig tree (the restoration of Israel) and, more specifically, the termination of Jerusalem’s trampling by the Gentiles (Luke 21:24; 29-31).
Israel was restored in 1948, and that was an indication that we have reached the last phase of the church dispensation. The recapturing of Jerusalem in 1967 and the city’s restoration as Israel’s capital in 1980 were important milestones on the road of Israel’s restoration. Further developments in the restoration of modern Israel are also prophetically significant, as the powers of darkness are opposing Israeli control over their God-given land, as well as their sole control over Jerusalem as Jewish capital.
Prophecies on the tribulation itself – e.g. the appearance of the Antichrist, unprecedented natural disasters and signs in the sun, moon and stars, as well as a threatening third world war, will not be fulfilled in the church dispensation, i.e. before the tribulation period. We will, however, see the preparations for the Antichrist’s global government, global religion, and cashless monetary system, and these are all signs that time is running out: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).
Some people react to difficult circumstances by taking refuge in worldly pleasure, while others become so concerned that they are overcome by depression. But we should not allow the sorrows of life to disrupt us spiritually and emotionally (Luke 21:34), but always find our strength in the joy of the Lord. We should be strongly committed to watch, pray, and persevere to the end. Soon, we will hear the trumpet of God calling us to our heavenly home.